| News | | Guitar World Column | | Interviews | | Pictures | | Album Reviews | | Gig Reviews | | Release Dates | | History | | Articles | | Setlists | | Upcoming | | Contact |
 |
 |
 |
March 26th 2010, Los Angeles CA
Andrew: Bring me up to date with what's been happening with the band lately.
Linda: Well, we just got back from doing a short tour through Texas and the South West. We played in Austin at Texas Rock Fest, which was going on during SXSW so that was pretty cool. We got back from that this week on Monday. The shows were awesome and we got to play with a lot of our friends when we were in Austin. Now we're working on some new songs. We're going to be playing with Nashville Pussy on May 20th. We're actually booking some other tour dates too for the spring and the summer. We'll posting those very soon.
Andrew: To people who haven't heard your debut EP 'Mission to Rock' how would you describe the music?
Linda: I describe it as hard rock, very guitar-driven, lots of lead guitar work, guitar solos and just strong rock songs that are kind of reminiscent of the 70s and 80s rock that we love very much.
Andrew: Which member or members do the song writing?
Linda: We all write together and write on our respective instruments. I write the vocal melodies. On occasions we collaborated. There is one song that we recently wrote with our friend Rachel Bolan from the band Skid Row. That was really cool. He is a good friend, great guy and an awesome songwriter. But for the most part we just write everything ourselves as a band.
Andrew: Cockpit is currently the only all-female rock-n-roll band, or at least one of the very few that I know of. How did this all start?
Linda: The band started, I guess seven years ago. I came out for a short film festival party in LA and was introduced by a friend to Rachael, the drummer. This friend was just basically saying that Rachael wants to start an all-female band, you guys should meet and you'll get along really well. We jammed together out there for a long weekend. We had fun playing together. I ended up moving out there three months afterwards. We just got together and started writing some cool songs. We tried to find a lead guitarist and a bass player. We found Terrii next. We placed an ad on Craigslist saying 'We love Judas Priest and so should you'. She responded to the ad. Kerrii was the only bass player that even auditioned because as soon as she came in, we were like, 'This is right!' It's been the three of us ever since then. We actually went through a number of lead guitar players that we tried out and finally wound up finding Stephanie who's our lead guitar player now. She's just awesome, incredibly talented and we're really lucky to have found her. Things came together one by one.
Andrew: The band started in 2003 and the first EP came out in 2008. What went on in between? Was it difficult to get labels' attention being an all-female band?
Linda: I think it was really hard for us finding good band members, finding each other and finding a really good lead guitar player. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of really talented players who are willing to work hard and there's an even greater shortage of that when it comes to female players. After that it all kind of started to come together a lot easier. But I think the initial search of finding each other was the most difficult part.
Andrew: The band's biography on the website says that each player brought her own individual style and flavour to the music. What's yours?
Linda: I'm really influenced by the 70s and 80s metal. I think we all are, but I'd say I'm very heavily influenced by Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Danzig and other bands that have strong guitar riffs. I've really been into the kind of vocal phrasing of singers like Rob Halford. These are the bands that have had the biggest influence on me.
Andrew: From what I've read, your guitarist Stephanie paid $20 to study under Paul Gilbert. Do you have any similar stories?
Linda: No, I wish I had the chance to study under some of my favorite rock heroes. I definitely learnt from some really great musicians, just by taking private instructions with people, from a vocal coach and also from getting the opportunity to play with some really great musicians. As I mentioned, Rachel from Skid Row came and hung out, wrote a song with us. Having those learning experiences has been really awesome for me, but I haven't really sat down and learnt any tricks from Rob Halford yet (laughs). Hopefully some day it will happen!
Andrew: You are one band that promises the return of rock. Do you think rock will ever return to be as huge as it was in the 70s?
Linda: I think that there's a time and a place for everything, and just because something was amazing at one time it doesn't mean that necessarily going to come back that way again, but I think it'll come back in its own way. That's really what we want to do. It's not like we all sit around and go, 'Ok so how are we going to bring the 80s or the 70s back?' I sort of raise my hand in the air and say, 'I think I do!' (laughs) I think what we really want to do is find a way to incorporate that time period of music that we loved so much and bring it back in our own way, with our own style and flair, kind of help start a new generation of that along with other current bands that we play with right now. So I think we are looking to kind of bring it back, but also move it forward in our own way.
Andrew: Could you name some of those other bands that you were just talking about?
Linda: There are some really great bands that we've had the opportunity to play with. We've done some touring with a band called The Last Vegas that we all really love and bands like Fireball Ministry from LA, we have a lot of respect for it. There are some bands that are really out there doing it, great rock bands that are trying to approach it with a more current feel.
Andrew: Which album made you pick up your instrument and decide to be a rock musician and why?
Linda: Probably one of the top ones that just totally floored me and made me have to learn how to play guitar and a huge rock fan is Def Leppard's Hysteria. When I was a kid and I heard that record, that was just like a door that flew wide open for me.
Andrew: When are you planning to record a full-length album?
Linda: Honestly, any day now! We are really in the thick of it, writing and looking for the right person to record those next songs with and record a full length. So it's something that's an active process we are working on right now, so hopefully very soon.
Andrew: Other than the May 20th gig in Hollywood, what plans have you got this year?
Linda: We're definitely looking to go back through the South West and Texas where we just went, because we're building up a great fan base there and really just love that area. In summer time there are going to be quite a few festivals going on so I think you can expect to see us at some of those.
Looking for the best cable deals? Check out Cox Phoenix!